The invention relates to an air-conditioned vehicle seat having a lower air impermeable upholstered seat or backrest part, an intermediate layer arranged on the latter, through which air flows, and an upholstery cover, which is divided by way of quilted seams into mutually delimited upholstered zones and through which air flows on the side of the intermediate layer.
In the case of an air-conditioned vehicle seat of the type known from German patent document DE 100 24 879 C1, the seams are constructed as stitch seams in the upholstery cover, through which air flows and which consists of a flexible-foam layer and the fabric cover. In this case, the drawing-in depth of the stitchings is limited to the thickness of the upholstery cover and, in addition, a load-resistant anchoring of the stitches on the lower upholstered part is absent.
Furthermore, an actively ventilated motor vehicle seat is known from European patent document EP 1 364 827 B1, where the upholstery cover is fastened by way of the intermediate layer, through which the air flows, in such a manner to the lower upholstered part that, distributed in the longitudinal direction of the seams, studs are screwed to the lower upholstered part and extend through the intermediate layer and are detachably hooked together with quilting rods pulled into the upholstery cover. Although, as a result, major constrictions of the air-guiding intermediate layer are avoided in the area of the seams, the sitting comfort is considerably impaired by the studs projecting upward beyond the intermediate layer.
Finally, in the case of the vehicle seat of the above-mentioned type known from German patent document DE 101 56 658 C1, in the case of which the intermediate layer, through which the air flows, is divided along the seams into individual sections, which are separated from one another with respect to ventilation, insertion strips in the form of spacing textures are arranged in a sunk manner in the lower upholstered part and extend in conformance with the length of the seams below the seam-side edge sections of the intermediate layer sections and act as air bridges between the latter. The seams are produced by pull wires, which extend through the insertion strips and are anchored in the lower upholstered part. The production and arrangement of the air-bridge-forming insertion strips requires increased manufacturing expenditures and, since the insertion strips are compressed in a manner narrowing their cross-section by the active pulling forces of the quilting wires, the air exchange between the individual sections of the intermediate layer may be impaired.
It is an object of the invention to achieve an unhindered seat ventilation and a durably secure fixing of the seam stitches in a manner that is simple with respect to the manufacturing and does not impair the sitting comfort in the case of an air conditioned vehicle seat.
According to the invention, air bridges having relatively small dimensions are set in the upholstered part in a sunk manner on both sides along the longitudinal direction of the seams. The stitches are anchored to the wall sections of the upholstered part laterally directly adjoining the air bridges, so that the air bridges are largely relieved from the tension forces resulting from the stitches. As a result, a durably pull- and slide-resistant fastening of the upholstery cover along the seams is ensured. This leads to an unhindered air flow through the intermediate layer on the path via the air bridges, while the sitting comfort is simultaneously high in connection with a seat construction that is simple with respect to its manufacturing and remains stable for a long time.
In a further development of the invention preferred with respect to the manufacturing, the air bridges and the intermediate layer are prefabricated as a one-piece insert, specifically normally consisting of a spacing texture.
The cross-sectional width of the air bridges, which is smaller compared to the intermediate layer, can be compensated by a cross-sectional height enlarged with respect to the latter, and/or can preferably be compensated by a specific air permeability of the air bridges that is higher compared to the intermediate layer.
In order to be able to anchor the stitches along a length that is as large as possible directly on the upholstered part, the wall sections of the upholstered part adjoining the air bridges are dimensioned in the longitudinal direction of the seams preferably at least as wide as the air bridges, and a particularly large pull-in depth of the upholstery cover can be achieved in that the stitches are fitted into a pull-in duct of the upholstered part, and the air passages are arranged on both sides flush with the pull-in duct and sunk in the upholstered part.
With a view to a particularly secure fastening of the stitches on the upholstered part, it is recommended to anchor these stitches on a quilting element continuously extending in the upholstered part along the seams, which quilting element, for reasons of a uniformly stable embedding in the material of the upholstered part, preferably extends at a uniform depth below the air bridges as well as in the wall sections of the upholstered part free of air bridges.
For relieving the air bridges from the tension forces resulting from the stitches, the anchoring of the stitches is particularly preferably limited to the wall sections of the upholstered part which are free of air bridges.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.